Good at Being Bad
by OnlyTheResults
Summary: Doctor Arthur Watts and Tyrian Callows enjoy the night off after their massacre at Robyn's election party. As they unwind, Watts muses on their strange friendship and how well they work together.


"Fine work Tyrian. I think we are done for tonight" he said over his mic. He tapped the upload button that would send the doctored footage of Penny committing Tyrian's massacre all over the Kingdom of Atlas.

"A fine job if I do say so myself. I say we've earned a night off don't you think?" All Watts heard over his headset was the sound of Tyrian running through the chaos stricken streets of Mantle. No doubt he was rushing towards their hideout. For Watts that was affirmation of his query. "I'll cook something Mistralian."

The fact that Tyrian favored Mistrali food would be a surprise to perhaps anyone but him. As he walked towards their common room in the hideout, he thought about his... odd friendship with the scorpion.

They worked best together compared to the rest, Watts had found out early on. The good doctor had relatively low opinions of those he worked alongside. The two children were immature and followed Cinder around like their mother. Hazel was far too concerned about toting the line on morality and Cinder?...

He detested Cinder. She was only around because of her maiden powers and even then she was an abject failure. Now she was out there doing who knows what while the rest of them were actually working on furthering Salem's goals.

Tyrian however he seemed to understand the most. They complimented one another easily. He would act behind the scenes while Tyrian was more up front. He'd cover his tracks and let Tyrian do his artistry without fear.

It was strange to consider him a friend. He never was much for friends back in Atlas. Even before his fall from grace. Watts wondered when the distinction between associate and friend changed. It was most likely the time he returned with his tail blasted to bits and his stinger gone. Watts had actually felt... concern for another person.

So much so that he didn't even need to be told by Salem to create a mechanical replacement for him. He'd started that himself. Thankfully Tyrian was grateful for it. Much more than someone like Cinder ever was.

She'd taunted him back at Raven's camp. To run back to his little machines. It was his "machines" that kept her alive after her failure at Beacon, his code that hacked Ironwood's army and his craft that put Tyrian back in action.

He scoffed as he pulled out an array of ingredients that were stored in their safe-house. It was practically impossible for Tyrian or him to be in a restaurant or even ordering out. So they settled on cooking. Even they had to eat.

Tyrian soon figured out he much preferred the doctors cooking anyways.

Watts was out of his long, stylish coat and in a more loose white and grey shirt and pants. Even out of his regular clothes he upheld a standard of style, another thing he misliked about Cinder. That thing she wore was absolutely garish. He and Tyrian were far more refined in their outfits. Well at least he knew he was. His lecturing on style tended to fall on deaf ears in that regard.

Watts sloshed around some cooking oil and began to work his art. Science and hacking was not all he was great at. The doctor also made a mean sushi dish.

He heard the sound of the days coded phrase outside the safe-house and replied with a few touches of the rings on his finger to mess with some of the security cameras nearby and pressed the combination that opened the door from his rings. His precious set of rings were his weapon. While Cinder had her Maiden powers and Tyrian was well... Tyrian, his rings could destroy a kingdom from the inside out without even breaking a sweat.

Tyrian scurried inside and shut the door with a loud clang. He wiped the sweat off his brow and licked his lips before speaking. "I take it you enjoyed my work?"

Watts nodded as he chopped up some of the vegetables needed for the meal. "I did. When you used the stinger on the man running towards you, I enjoyed that very much. Very useful as well, actually. I've got the perfect shot to put Ironwood's robot in."

Tyrian cackled with glee at the praise. He enjoyed the doctors analysis of his work. He was the only one that recognized what he did as art! He was a good friend.

Tyrian walked over to their small couch and table. He plopped himself down and kicked his feet up onto their glass and wood table with a smile. His tail curled around himself comfortably. A hand went to switch on their small television, one of the few amenities their goddess allowed them in Atlas. Even they needed downtime. As Watts worked on their sushi dinner, he flicked through the various channels Atlas had. Most of it was boring but then his eye caught the sight of an Atlesian football game. "Good doctor, I believe your alma mater is playing tonight!"

Watts stepped in from the small kitchen with two plates of Mistrali sushi made with delicate care. As he sat down beside his friend, he too kicked his legs up and crossed one over the other. "I never took you for a sports fan Tyrian."

"Well, we all have our little pleasures" he admitted as his eyes turned towards the television and food. Another thing Tyrian enjoyed was the most basic kind of beer. A difference from his taste of fine wine's.

The two watched the game with vested interest. Watts spoke up again as the home team punted the ball. "You know I actually played for the college team." His words were smug as they most often were.

"With your build?" Tyrian half joked half inquired. He was curious to know what position his scientific friend had played in his youth.

"Oh yes. I was the punter. We made it to the Atlas college national game that year."

"And did you win, Doctor?"

His smug smile dropped from his face as his eyes narrowed. In silence he took a bite out of his own cooking before answering. "No. No we did not." Tyrian laughed and laughed at the expense of his friend. He knew what kind of ego the good doctor had and poking at it was a source of delight for him.

The pair watched the game to its completion and then tidied up. Tomorrow was another day of their work. Soon they'd be sending their report to Salem and Tyrian would no doubt jump in delight at how well they've been doing for their 'goddess.' Watts scoffed at that too. He was once a godless man of course, but when faced with direct evidence of deities existing well... that changed his mind about the matter. Watts washed the last of the plates and put them up. Finally, his lips touched the edge of his wine glass and he downed the rest of it. A few specks of alcohol remained on his mustache leaving it wet and sticky. A quick splash of water and paper towels fixed that issue.

Watts took out his custom scroll and flipped through some of the security cams he had tapped into. The night was still rife with chaos and the Grimm were still at large. _Good thing they struck at Mantle only. It would be a shame to miss out on such a nice sporting event because of it. _

Watts shut the television off with one of his rings and yawned. "Tired already?" he heard Tyrian call out as he was putting away his large hood. "You didn't even do any of the heavy lifting!"

Watts just rolled his eyes as he stretched his arms and twisted his back. A satisfying pop made him crack a small sigh of relief. "You know that a proper sleep schedule makes things much easier for us. Tonight I'm going to do a bit of planning for the task ahead and then I'm sleeping. You ought to try it some time."

The faunus rolled his eyes as he went to sharpen his weapons and clean the blood off them. He'd taken extreme caution to prevent it from dripping. The good doctor had told him to leave no traces, so he left no traces. He'd have to ask him for footage of his massacre later.

In his small bed, Watts lay back with his scroll and swiped through his various files. The section regarding the heating of Mantle sparked an idea in the back of his mind and caused him to send all relevant data to his rings. With a swipe of his hand, the entire heating grid of Mantle was in his fingertips. Quite literally in fact. He then turned to his most recent work. The video of Penny Polendina massacring the supporters of Robyn Hull was all over the kingdom by now and there were reactions from all sorts of people.

_Ah Pietro... how does it feel now with all these people ready to trash your creation. Hopefully you're feeling exactly how I felt_ thought the man with serene vindictiveness. That bastard was getting his just reward for what he did to him. His life as one of the most distinguished scientists in Atlas? Ruined by that crippled man he once worked closely with.

He smiled most wickedly as his once partner was now at his lowest. All thanks to the efficient teamwork of his new partner, Tyrian. A much better one if he did say himself.

Watts was broken out of his thoughts at the sound of Tyrian stepping into his room, his fingertips touching. "Ah, Doctor" he began, almost nervously. What in the world could have made Tyrian nervous? Watts knew most had to do with Salem, but she had no contact with them at the moment.

"Tyrian, what is it?" he asked as he got up from his bed. He was almost about to call it a night. Much to his surprise he noticed Tyrian was wearing sleeping clothes. Perhaps he was taking his advice to heart.

_As he ought to. I didn't get a PhD and a doctorate for fun!_

"Did you bring my sleeping pills?" he asked flatly. Was he embarrassed at the fact he needed sleeping pills? He'd told him that it was fine and that it was quite common. As common as motion sickness induced vomiting.

Watts sighed and rose from his bed and walked quickly over to his fine bag. Clicking it open, he searched around past all his equipment and finally he found what he was searching for. A small and orange pill bottle with the word "Tyrian's" written in black marker on the top of the cap.

With a soft popping sound, he opened it and tapped a pill out onto his palm. He handed it to Tyrian who took it greedily and even took it without water. "Your reliability has aided me once again, Doctor!" he thanked in his own unique way that could only cause Watts to smirk. Only his friend could make taking sleeping pills look like a theater performance.

"In any case, good night. We've a busy day tomorrow Tyrian."

"That we do" the faunus agreed as he turned to exit. When Watts reached his bed again, he heard Tyrian speak up. "You know, we do make a pretty good team."

Watts shrugged as he acknowledged the fact he had learned a while ago about the two. Their strange little friendship. Their effectiveness working together. It was what it was. "Perhaps we're simply good at being bad."

Tyrian liked that and cackled. "Yes. Perhaps we are. Goodnight, Doctor."

The scorpion went to his own room within the safe-house while Doctor Watts shut his own lights off and pulled his sheets over himself.

Sleep came swiftly and was pleasant to the two as Mantle burned around them.

* * *

**A/N: Small Watts and Tyrian story. I love the idea of them being genuine friends since they work so well with one another and Tyrian seems to be the only person Watts seems to tolerate in Salem's inner circle. **

**Skipping Through Beacon will be out later this week.**

**My Cowboys got beat by Philly. Another 8-8 season here we come. Our playoff hopes fall into the hands of the Giants to beat the Sheagles next week. Sigh. **


End file.
